Wings
by Tyloric
Summary: Cid Highwind is lost in a 'verse he knows nothing about. Trapped in a place where traveling in the black is common. A place like this should be paradise to someone like him, right?
1. Prologue

Wings  
Prologue  
Warning: Major Spoilers from the Big Damn Movie  
Beta read by the lovely Your October  
**6 Months Ago**

_These are just a few of the images we've recorded._

An eerie silence swept over the room, the screen hanging behind the bar attracting all of the occupants' attention. They watched in terrified fascination as shots of decaying corpses flashed across the screen.

_And you can see... it isn't what we thought._

Mumbles spread across the crowd now.

"Is this some kind of joke?" a man at the end of the bar snapped at the barkeep.

The barkeep turned towards the outraged man for only a moment, but said nothing. He only shrugged, a quick dismissive motion, informing everyone that this was not his doing.

_There's been no war here and no terraforming event. The environment is stable._

The women on the view screen was visibly distressed. Her words were careful but held a meaning that no one seemed capable of comprehending. Tears welled in her eyes, but only those sitting closest to the screen noticed.

_It's the Pax. The G-23 Paxilon Hydroclorate that we added to the air processors. It was supposed to calm the population, weed out aggression._

She hesitated again, but only for a moment.

_Well, it works._

In the back of the bar, at the table closest to the entrance, a man dressed in stained denim pants, whose color had long since faded away and solid blue t-shirt, sipped generously from his glass.

He watched the screen, his face conveying no emotion. He simply leaned back against his chair and continued watching intently.

_The people here stopped fighting… And then they stopped everything else._

Voices erupted throughout the bar, whispers of confusion and uneasiness. The barkeep, feeling unsettled about the sudden change in the demeanor of his customers, changed the channel only to find that the wave was transmitting on all frequencies.

His stance became a bit panicked, though his own curiosity won out in the end. The blond man in the back of the bar noted that he wasn't paying attention to the men and women who wanted refills.

_They stopped going to work… they stopped breeding, talking, eating. There are thirty million people here, and they all just let themselves die._

A loud crash made everyone in the bar jump, not just out of the suddenness of it, but because they were morbidly intrigued by this woman's sudden terror. The panic her voice was apparent, and it seemed to infect all those who were paying attention. Even the blond man, who usually liked to consider himself an exceptionally leveled person, found himself narrowing his eyes at the screen.

The women in the Alliance uniform shot a few quick glances over her right shoulder before continuing.

_I have to be quick. About a tenth of the population had the opposite reaction to the Pax. Their aggressive response increased beyond madness_.

A few of the men in the bar, namely the more seasoned looking fellows, slumped down into their seats, realization dampening their features. But not one person was looking away now; all chatter had stopped. This woman, whoever she may be, seemed to have the undivided attention of the 'verse.

If only they understood how true that was. Whether they understood what they were seeing didn't seem to matter anymore.

_They have become… Well they've killed most of us. And not just killed… they've done things… _

Someone spoke up in the midst of the silence, asking a question everyone seemed to be wondering themselves. "Reavers?"

A few people glanced in the direction of the voice, but for the most part people acted as if they hadn't spoken. There was no need to speak.

_I won't live to report this, but people have to know._

The blond man noted how much pain she was in, none of it being physical. No one would know it from looking at him; to most he just liked a hard working old man. But he knew the pain the truth could cause. He'd seen it before.

_We meant it for the best…_

He closed his eyes. Hearing her pain was hard enough. He couldn't watch it.

_To make people safer._

He downed the remaining alcohol that was in his glass in two long gulps, untying his coat from his thighs and hastily shoving it on his shoulders.

He turned towards the door, not bothering to look back at the screen, when another loud crash followed. One would assume without looking that the feral growls of some hunting animal were in the background.

_Oh God!_

He hesitated and stopped at the door for the briefest of moments, almost looking over his shoulder when he heard the gunshots being fired. Her screams of sheer terror and anguish echoed from the speakers, the bar erupting into yells of outrage and bewilderment.

As Cid Highwind stepped out in the streets of Persephone, he heard similar cries and screams coming from each establishment and home he passed.

His step didn't falter again, however. He just kept walking towards the docks, fiddling with a small green sphere he kept in his pocket.

**5 Months Ago**

Captain Malcolm Reynolds sat in the dining area of Serenity alone. In front of him was a bottle of whiskey and a shot glass he had since ceased using, finding it quicker to just drink from the bottle itself.

His mind wondered aimlessly towards the thoughts he had not been able to shake free of. Events that had fundamentally alerted the lives of him and his crew.

He thought of the Tam's, namely River, and how they had been tangled in all of this from the beginning. He wondered just how many secrets that girl knew about the Alliance, or if this whole Miranda incident had been the end of their involvement in government conspiracies.

His thoughts wandered to Sheppard Book and the people of that moon. Innocents who had just gotten caught in the cross fire. He could still feel the man's blood dried on his face; that feeling wouldn't go away. The lingering smell of copper seemed to stay with him as well.

The dead that littered the streets of Miranda haunted his nightmares often. Lab rats that died at the hands of a failed experiment.

Most often, however, he thought of Wash. Skewered through his torso by a Reaver harpoon. He remembered Wash's blood most of all, how it soaked the bridge floor. His limp body resting forward ever so slightly, leaning into the harpoon. His face hadn't been in pain, and he'd looked peaceful. Happy, almost. Content.

It was Zoë's tears that chilled his soul the most. He had known Zoë for close to a decade now and through it all he had not once seen her shed a tear.

But she had cried for Wash. They all had cried (possibly excluding Jayne) for Wash. Serenity had been noticeably quieter without his sense of humor, his exaggerated dinosaur battles on the bridge and over the comm system.

Mal was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice the padding of bare feet coming up behind him. "You're too loud," she said.

Had Mal been sober he would jumped in his chair. But while he wasn't exactly drunk, he was long past the point of being sober. "How many times do I have to tell you all? You don't sneak up on a man from behind."

"Hmm…" was River's only reply as she stepped lightly towards the pantry.

Mal took another swig of whiskey before speaking again. "What're you doing up this late anyhow, Albatross?"

River had taken a leftover protein bar from one of the cabinets, cutting a section of it off and sliding it onto a plate. "Like I said. You're too loud. I could hear you thinking all the way from my room."

Mal snorted though he didn't mean too. "Sorry," he slurred lazily, taking another drink. River sat across from him at the table, setting the plate of protein down in front of Mal.

"Chaos is noisy," she stated matter-of-factly.

Mal nodded his head, eyeing the protein cautiously. "That it is."

"Eat," she ordered.

The Captain's eyes narrowed before picking up the brown substance. He let it hover in front of his lips for a second before taking a small bite. Like always, it was tasteless and had an odd, putty-like texture. He chewed it slowly before swallowing.

"We're all in chaos," she said after he set the protein back down. She rested her head and hands on the table, stretching her fingers to feel all of the wood's imperfections, the small details that made it real, trying to listen to the stories it had to tell.

He just grunted in response, reaching out to grab the bottle of whiskey again before she slapped his hand away. He glared at her dangerously, though she acted like she didn't notice. Taking the bottle and the cork that rested near it, she got up and headed back over to the pantry to put the bottle away.

"What do you think you're doing?" he growled at her.

"This will only make the chaos grow, Captain," River said simply, setting the bottle down in the highest cabinet she could reach before clicking it shut. Grabbing a small cup, she poured a glass of water.

"I don't give a gorram hell what it does," he snapped. "I want my whiskey." He shot to his feet, but lost his balance immediately and fell back into the chair. Maybe he was drunk after all.

"You see?" She gazed at him those all-knowing eyes.

He grunted again, clumsily reaching for the cup of water. He knew how to take defeat gracefully. The water was cool and soothed his sore throat. Mal sighed. "Nothing is the same."

"That's because of the chaos; storms have a way of leaving things broken."

Raising an eyebrow, Mal continued his train of thought anyway. "Wash is dead. Shepard is dead. Simon and Kaylee are humping like gorram bunnies. Zoë is acting like nothing's wrong. And Jayne is… Jayne." He guzzled down the water like it was whiskey. It wasn't nearly as satisfying.

River stepped up beside him. "What about the Captain?" she asked, leaning right into his face.

"What about 'im?"

"How has he changed?"

Mal considered the question silently for a few seconds before answering, "I 'unno," he slurred.

She suppressed a giggle, but smiled. "That's 'cause of the whiskey." She danced around the dining area, keeping her arms extended, feet moving with grace that no one should have.

His eyes kept time with her as she moved. "Thought it was cause of the 'chaos'." He used air quotes to add emphasis even though she wasn't looking at him.

This time she did giggle. "Well it sure doesn't help."

He huffed and took a large--perhaps too large--bite out of the protein bar. This little girl was talking in circles.

"I'm not little," she said, never stopping her movements.

"Well, ya sure ain't big," he snapped a little harsher than he meant too. He seemed to do that a lot lately.

"Don't worry, Captain Daddy." She almost sang the words, halting her movements to meet his eyes. "Serenity just needs to find her wings again. It's hard to fly in a straight path without your wings."

"We lost more than wings, little one." He retorted morbidly. His thoughts flashed back briefly to the corpses of Wash and Book. River seemed to take notice.

"I know." She had stopped dancing suddenly and clasped her hands together, staring down at her feet. Her hair covered her face to hide her eyes that now glistened with tears. "It's my fault." Her voice wavered, though she hid it well.

Even in his drunken state, Mal heard it. His heart sank lower into his chest. He braced himself against the back of his chair and pushed himself upwards onto his feet. The floor swayed beneath him, and he almost lost his balance again. His hand caught himself on the table where he stayed until the floor stopped moving.

He took his first step towards her gingerly, making sure to topple over or, fates forbid, fall on River. When he reached her, though, he didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around her frail form. "Ain't no one's fault but the Alliance's," he stated simply. Drunk he might be, stupid he wasn't.

He felt her relax and they stayed there for almost a full minute before River pulled back. "I think I'm still broken." The smile she gave Mal was genuine.

"We all are, Albatross. We all are."

She laughed. "Don't worry, Captain Daddy. We just need to find some wings to help us fly again." She tapped him on the nose then skipped away down towards her bunk before turning to speak over her shoulder. "Finish your snack and go to bed."

He glared at her again, but responded playfully. "Yes, mother."

She stuck her tongue out at him before going off to her room.

***

**Author's Notes: **Well, this is my current project. I just had an idea of how I might get it to work and decided to go for it. The basic plot is all lined up, though I've strayed from them before. This is really a big experiment; I've not done much Firefly work in the best but I have some experience writing about Final Fantasy. So, I figured, while exploring new territory, why don't I add something I'm familiar with? And from that little idea, this was spawned.

I'm not sure if I'm happy about how River turned out, but I'm willing to work with it a little to see if I can't get her personality to the level I want it. She's a difficult character to write about, in my opinion.

Updates for this story will be erratic. My updates always are because I'm no good with deadlines (I always miss them.) But I hope you'll stick with me through out this. I'm not sure what pairings there will be; I've always been a fan of slash but I want this story to appeal to as many people as possible, so there may be very little romance and may just stick with canon pairings.

Reviews make me happy, so why not drop one off on your way out?

1/13/09 Update:  
Previous version replaced with beta read version.

~Tyloric


	2. Chapter One

**Wings**  
**Chapter One**  
Warnings: Minor spoilers to the plot of FFVII, Some foul language

**Present Day**

Cid brushed his fingers along the carton in his pocket, stroking it like one would a beloved pet. He wanted so desperately to pull the carton out, pop a cigarette in between his lips and just breathe in a good, long whiff of it. He had always enjoyed that satisfied feeling since he first started smoking as a teenager. Smoking and sex, his two favorite things.

Problem was he hadn't had either in weeks. Yuffie had pulled all of AVALANCHE out to Wutai as a sort of reunion to celebrate the one year anniversary of them 'saving the Planet'. He hadn't wanted to come, to be completely honest, but Shera had made him.

"All you've been doing for the past two months is work on that airship of yours! Get out, have _fun,_" her words echoed in his head. He had resisted the urge to argue that working on his ship was him having fun.

But as he had turned to leave the house she had called out, "And don't even think about smoking!" Damn women. She was killing him. _Killing _him.

So after their first day of celebrations (it really had been nice to see the gang all in one place again) he had come up to the mountain to think… and mope. Mostly mope, but there was thinking involved.

He gazed longingly up at the stars; his visit with them previously had been short-lived in that Shinra rocket, but it had been worth it. Still, a part of him was insisting that it hadn't been enough. But at least he'd been there at all, he told himself. How many people could say _that?_

"Hey!" a cheery voice called out from behind him. "What'cha doin' all the way up here?" Cid turned to look over his shoulder, watching as Yuffie bounced up next to him. She wore her trademark smile, which was full of optimism. She was wearing that blue tank top with the white flowers on it, though she wasn't wearing the coat that usually accompanied it. Her pants, as were the norm with Yuffie, came to just above her thighs. Her hair was back in a pony tail; that was new.

Cid shrugged. "Nuttin'."

She eyed him disbelievingly. "Nothing? Then why do you look like you were run over by a Chocobo?" For emphasis, she stuck a finger in his face.

He sighed, partly defeated, "I need a light." Partly because there was no way, Shiva as his witness, that he would discuss his sexual frustrations with a teenager.

"Then light one up," she stated matter-of-factly.

He grimaced. "Can't."

"Can't?"

"Can't."

She cocked her side to the side, curiously. "Why the heck not?"

His head was hanging a bit low now. "Promised Shera I'd try and quit."

Yuffie stared at him for a long moment, the statement processing in her head. She went over it again and again, making sure she was getting it right before saying, "Promised you'd…" She gaped, then grinned devilishly. "Why Cid Highwind, you old man, you! Has she got you on a leash?" She giggled.

He scowled at her. "Ain't no one got me on any damn leash, girl." He huffed before adding, "And I ain't old."

"Old enough, apparently." She laughed when he growled at her. She lifted her hands to mimic a dog pouting. "Woof woof." He took an angry step toward her and she jumped back, laughing hysterically.

"What'd you come up here for, anyway? To ruin my peace and quiet?" Cid snapped.

Still giggling a bit, she waved a hand at him dismissively, "Calm down, _Captain_. Just didn't see you much at the party. Figured I'd make sure you were okay." She purposefully slapped him on the back harder than necessary.

Cid felt his posture relax a bit as he stared at the Wutainese ninja. He remembered a sharp-tongued sixteen year old who was looking for a fight. She'd stolen all of their Materia in an effort to try and restore Wutai to its former glory, and while she didn't exactly succeed in that account, she'd been making an effort as the heir of Wutai to change it from a tourist attraction to a respected country. She'd come a long way from there to here, kid to adult in only a year.

Cid turned back around to face gaze back up at the stars. "I'm fine. Just thinkin'. Never did like parties."

"Thinking? At your age? Careful, you might hurt yourself." She poked at his side. The blonds' eyes narrowed, though he didn't look at her. He stayed focused on the stars.

"What'cha thinking about?" she asked after a while.

His fingers brushed against the carton in his pocket. "Stuff."

She frowned, regarding him for a minute. Then she remembered."Oh! I forgot!" She reached to dig something out of her back pocket.

Cid eyed her curiously, and raised his eyebrows when she pulled out a long pink ribbon. She lifted the sleeve of his shirt and tied it around his bicep. She nodded, satisfied.

"Uh, Yuffie…" he started.

"So we don't forget her." She was looking right at him now, a small smile on her lips but tears shining lightly in her eyes. He couldn't remember Yuffie ever looking so serious.

He thought for only a few seconds before nodding in agreement. "So we don't forget."

***

Cid's eyes cracked open slowly, the light of day bleeding through the thin blinds of the motel room. He crept up into a sitting position, looking around to remember where he was. When the realization that it had just been a dream dawned on him, he lay back down, groaning.

It was a grim reality when memories were all you had left of the people from your past.

Still, no matter how hard he tried, that was where the memories stopped. That moment with Yuffie was the last memory he could recall of being home on _his_ planet. There was a gap. The next thing he knew, he was waking up in an alleyway on a planet had he later learned was called Persephone. That had been nearly a year ago.

A year and he was no closer to finding any answers. He had gone to quite a few planets searching for where the hell he was and how the hell he got there. He hadn't found any. Eventually his searching led him in a circle back to where he started: Persephone.

He had picked up some useful skills, though. Piloting a spaceship was, ironically, not a lot different from piloting one of his airships. In fact, once you broke atmo, the fundamentals were exactly the same. The only difference being that you had so much more freedom in space from the lack of gravity to fight.

It should be a dream, finding himself in a place where space travel was commonplace, where the sky was, quite literally, the limit. Ironically, it looked like that wasn't far enough.

***

"Zoë," Mal said over the comm in the cargo bay, "what's out ETA on Persephone?"

After a few seconds she responded, "Forty-five minutes, sir."

"Alright, tell me if we get into any trouble. I'd like to know in advance if we're gonna crash and die."

The humor in her voice was feint, but there. "Yes, sir."

He nodded, satisfied, even though no one could see him. It had taken quite a while for Zoë to start to get back to her normal self. She had hidden her grief fairly well. Anyone who didn't actually _know _Zoë wouldn't be able to tell. But the crew could. Mal had an understanding, however; as long as it didn't interfere with how she did on the job, she could grieve all she wanted. As long as she could still shoot people.

Which she had proved only recently that she could.

It became apparent to Mal quite quickly after purchasing Serenity all those years ago that people, normal folk and 'petty thieves' alike, took offense easily. Also, quite a high percentage of said folk and thieves liked to carry guns. So, following that logic, he had come with three rules that he always stuck to. One, that even trustworthy folk, including friends, couldn't be trusted. Two, whenever possible, it was important go in with someone watching your back, the exception to this rule occasionally being if Jayne was the only option.

And finally, the last rule of life out in the black; always wear your lucky socks. They could deflect bullets. Seriously.

"There is no such thing as lucky socks," River whispered in his ear as she floated by.

Simon, who was trailing behind her, looked to Mal curiously. "Lucky socks?"

Mal sighed. "First of all, Albatross, yes there is. And secondly, Doctor, yes. Lucky socks."

The young doctor was trying unsuccessfully to hide an amused grin. "You honestly have a pair of lucky socks?"

Before he could respond, River cut in. "They're pink."

The Captain looked up on the catwalk where River had stationed herself and glared at her dangerously. Simon, on the other hand, was holding his hand to mouth to cover the smile that had spread across his face. "Hey now, where do you get off on makin' fun of a man's socks?"

"Well, he has a point," Simon said, turning up to look at River. "I mean, when they're lucky and pink, nothing else really needs to be said at that point." His ribs shook with unheard laughter. River was grinning like a madwoman.

"Get out! Both of ya!" He waved his arms at them, irritated. Simon climbed up the stairs of the catwalk into the galley, laughing all the while. River followed—more of a skip, actually—after him.

Mal turned to head into the cargo bay to check on the delivery they were making, grumbling. The job was a simple one: deliver ten crates of… 'fish'… to the vender on Persephone. Easy, to the point, and the pay was decent. Except for the part where they had been ambushed (at the docks, no less) on New Melbourne. Hence the 'always have someone watching your back' rule.

The only real downside to this here operation was the fact that it was all going through Badger. Never much cared for that man. That Dyton Colony accent coupled with illusions of superiority fried his brainpan. But work was work and work was becoming scarce. He'd gone to Badger out of lack of other options, nothing more.

At least that's what he liked to tell himself.

"Captain," Zoë's leveled voice came through the comm.

Stepping over to it, he said, "Go ahead."

"We're entering atmo, sir. ETA ten minutes."

"Be right up," he replied evenly.

***

She could hear it; the chaos. Faint, but it was there. Waiting. It—he—was waiting. A heart led by turmoil. Confusion. Curiosity.

Wings. This one had wings.

River smiled to herself as she guided the firefly to Eavesdown Docks. She had found the one that would help Serenity fly.

***

**Author's Notes:** This story makes no effort to tie into the events of Advent Children or any of the other FFVII spin offs. However, some of the plot devices will be referenced. Also, for the sake of story telling, I'm making Cid a bit taller in this story. His normal height (from FFVII) is 5'8. Well, I'm making him 5'11. If he was that much shorter than everyone in Firefly it would make for quite a bit of awkward situations… so yeah, tall Cid.

Still playing around with River. I like where she's going but I'm still not completely satisfied.

Now that I've essentially set the foundation for the story, chapters I post should be longer. Also, don't excpect many author's notes from here on out; I'll note important things at the beginning of the chapter (not in great detail) from now on.

Remember to leave a review on your way out to let me know how I'm doing!

~Tyloric


	3. Chapter Two

**_Wings_  
Chapter Two**  
**By Tyloric**  
Warnings: Mild Language, Suggestions of slash if you squint really really hard.  
Things to Note: Continuing to experiment with River as well as Jayne in this chapter. Some reinventions of Cid's past to make his character work better with Firefly. Cid's personality is a bit more serious compared to how laid back he is in FFVII. This chapter ended up being a bit shorter than I expected. Sorry.

***

The entire crew stood at the cargo bay doors as they lowered. Kaylee was bouncing with excitement: here was an opportunity to shop after weeks away from a planet that had anything worth purchasing. She held tightly to Simon's hand, who just stared at her while the ecstatic mechanic gripped his hand, ready to pull him along with her. There was love hidden deep within his eyes, an emotion he didn't realize he was feeling. The love for another, love of the sensual variety, was completely foreign to the young doctor.

Inara had just left to be with a client and would return in a few days time.

Zoë, Mal and Jayne were sitting in the mule (a vehicle that was cunningly silent for its size) with three of the ten crates they were to deliver. In Mal's experience, you never delivered the entire shipment at once. Bring a sample, get _full _payment, and bring the rest. He liked to consider himself a man of his word, but he was always wary of other people, especially Badger (who had double-crossed them in the past).

Jayne was making sure his various weapons were loaded and operational, as well as making sure Betsy (his favorite knife) was strapped snuggly to his back. He only had two side arms this time around; Mal wouldn't let him bring anymore. It made him feel a bit naked. He was used to feeling guns attahced to his calves and abdomen. He grunted, an indication that he was satisfied with his inspection.

Zoë was sitting with her arms crossed, waiting. She was always cautious when going out on a job, more so when they were in highly populated areas like Persephone. This careful attitude was much more apparent after the happenings on Miranda, and she made no real effort to hide it. They were down to seven crew members;, and she'd rather that number not go down any lower as a result of people dying.

River was lying down on the catwalk, however. She would be staying with the ship until the others returned. Someone had to watch the ship; she was just disappointed, albeit irritated, that she would have to put off the search for their wings.

It was odd. The man's mind (that she had felt from orbit) was like a beacon amidst all thoughts that surrounded her, and yet she could not hear his thoughts themselves. She could _ fe_el him, could feel the chaos. The disappointment radiating from his mind was not lost on her. Suppressed confusion and anger lay deep inside of him, but she could not hear it. She could only feel it.

It was intriguing and new to her, and in a strange way… it was terrifying. It was as if this person wasn't thinking at all, only feeling.

"Alright," Mal started as the doors opened fully, "I'm hopin' that Badger doesn't give us his normal _go se _ and we can get back here in decent time.

"I would take it as a kindness ifyou two," looking directly at Kaylee and Simon, "you didn't go and stay out the whole day."

Simon raised an eyebrow, but Kaylee recognized it as the Captain worrying about them. "No need to worry none, Cap'n." She patted her pocket. "We got comm's if anything goes wrong."

That fact didn't make Mal feel as good as it should have, "Just try to get back before the sun sets, _dong ma_?"

She smiled, "Oh, we will be. River asked us to come back a bit early so she could go out 'fore it got dark."

Mal's curiosity peaked. "She did, did she?" Though he was not glancing over his shoulder, he knew River was paying attention.

"Sparrow grows tired of watching the nest," River said, her voice devoid of emotion. "Wants to soar." She lifted her arms from the catwalk, reaching out for the ceiling.

"Gorram moon brain…" Jayne muttered.

"You gonna be okay here on your own there, Albatross?" Mal ask, turning around in his seat to face her. Without dropping her arms, she gave him two thumbs up, still not looking at him.

Mal, still not entirely convinced, turned to look out to the busy streets of Persephone. "You two set?" he asked, referring to Zoë and Jayne.

"Yes, sir," Zoë said almost immediately, while Jayne just let out another grunt of recognition. He sighed and just hoped that things would go smoothly.

"Let's get this over with," he mumbled, willing the mule to move forward.

***

Cid walked down the busy street without a real goal in mind. He was searching for something, he just wasn't sure what. He simply felt a need to be here.

His hand reached idly into his pocket, tracing the small green sphere with his index finger. Materia, if it could still be called that. He couldn't use it, even though he could feel the energy pouring out of it. It made his palm tingle as he held the small marble, sending small jolts up his arm: Bolt Materia. He could feel the energy that was there, but for some reason, he couldn't access it.

God dammit, he wasn't cut out for this crap. He'd never been good at using Green Materia. In fact, he hated it. But this was the only connection he had to his home, _his _ planet. So he would keep trying.

Looking around at all the people going about their business, he had realized that it wasn't that much different from Midgar--before a giant meteor had crashed into it, of course. He had spent some time at the main research facility when the space program had been active. People going on with their daily lives surrounded him, the only difference between those here and those in Midgar being that the citizens of Persephone, or this 'verse in general, were very aware of their situation and environs.

It was strange to him; everyone kept tabs of what was going on in the cities of the planet and on many of the adjacent planets and moons. Midgar had been so isolated, and no one cared about what happened outside their own lives. So when he heard that the test site would be a remote location behind Mt. Nibel, he couldn't have been more upset; just another way to stay completely disconnected from society.

A pang of longing shot across his chest; a longing to see Rocket Town, to smell the motor oil and the hickory scent that lingered in the air. He missed home, more than he thought he ever would, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't seem to find a home here.

Wherever _here_ was.

Glancing around at the familiar surroundings, he eyed the shop that dealt in rare jewels and jems. He had become a regular in his (so far) failed search for more Materia.

It was like any jewelry shop, lined with clear glass cases assorted with pieces that were arranged according to rarity, price and color. The shop owner, Biggs, had become a good acquaintance of Cid's. Not quite a friend, but he was around often enough to not consider him just another business man.

"Ah, Cid!" he heard the big man rumble as he stepped into the store. Biggs was a fairly heavyset man, who stood quite a few inches below Cid. He had a big, black, bushy beard and short hair that was graying. He wore brown overalls with a blue, short-sleeved shirt. He was beaming at Cid brightly.

"Hey there, Biggsy. You're looking mighty… happy today." Cid eyed him with reserved curiosity.

Biggs beamed. "I got somethin' for ya."

He raised an eyebrow, "Do ya, now?"

"I found some of those marbles you seem so fascinated with." His voice had dropped to a near whisper as Cid approached him.

The former airship captain's face hardened and was immediately all business. "Let me see."

Amazingly, Biggs' smile brightened. He bent down to reach for something under the counter, pulling out an ancient-looking box. The box itself was non-descript, red wood with a gold-plated trim that had seen better days. Biggs' fingers expertly worked the old-style combination lock. With a _click_, it popped open.

Lifting the lid of the case, he swirled it around to face Cid. Sitting in the middle of what looked like red velvet were two small orbs. One was a bright cherry red, looking almost like candy. The other was violet and shone to perfection.

Cid lifted a hand and looked to Biggs. "May I?"

When the older man nodded, he picked up the red sphere. It burned to the touch, a fire that spread to his shoulder. In a way, it was pleasant. There was no pain, only the sensation of heat. The stirring of life.

A summon, a fire element. Ifirit.

He had found another one, another Materia, and this one was very much alive. Even with all his inexperience using magic, he could tell just from the way it thrummed in his hand, as if it had a pulse of its own. He couldn't help the childlike grin that spread across his face.

He set it carefully back down into the case, as if he were afraid it might break, stifling a groan as the heat left his arm.

Reaching over, he lifted the violet sphere. He let out an involuntary gasp as a sudden burst of strength invaded his body. He sudden seemed light; more alive. Alert, powerful.

Materia of Vitality, and from the feel of it, quite far along in its evolutionary cycle.

"How much?" Cid asked, setting the orb next to its crimson brother.

Biggs was watching like a child would its favorite cartoon character, fascinated but confused by what he had just witnessed. Cid guessed that he had gotten caught up in the moment a little; he was just excited. A piece—two pieces, actually—of home were on a counter in front of him.

Biggs watched for a few more moments before replying, "500 credits each."

Cid grimaced; that was just about all he had, but he didn't miss a beat. "Fine." He suddenly wished he had saved up a bit more money.

***

Jayne wasn't very bright. Hell, he would be the first one to tell you. He was a killer; that was all he knew how to be. Killers were observant too, something Jayne hardly ever got credit for. He saw things a lot of other folk missed.

Which is why he knew something was up the moment they set foot in Badger's office. It all looked the same. Way too many guards for such a small place, strange tidbits of Earth-that-was scattered around. Badger was sitting as his 'desk' just like he always was. But he could feel something was wrong…his instincts were telling him something wasn't right. He suddenly had that sinking feeling that usually meant that this was one of those moments when not everything was going to go according to plan.

"Malcolm Reynolds!" Badger said in his usual over exuberance. "Been quite a while since you and I had the pleasure of doin' business."

Mal forced a smile, if it could even be called that,."Badger."

Badger either didn't notice or didn't care. "My boys say quite a bit of my… _fish… _is missing."

"Just a sample. You'll get the rest when we get paid." Mal stood at his full height, something Jayne recognized as him meaning business.

Zoë stood tense at Mal's other side, while Jayne's eyes kept scanning from guard to guard, looking for the first sign that something might go down.

"What'sa matter, Reynolds? Don'tcha trust me?" His eyes glimmered with humor.

"What can I say? I actually learn from my mistakes," Mal said. When Zoë raised an eyebrow at him, he added, "Sometimes."

"The goods are damaged," the little man started, suddenly serious. _ And here we go_, Jayne thought bitterly.

Mal's shoulders tightened, Jayne could see it even though he was wearing his brown coat. "Had a bit of trouble with the loading process."

"I ain't paying ya to transport just for ya to get 'em to me in poor condition. Four hundred a crate."

Jayne couldn't stop himself from growling, but Mal raised a hand to silence him. "We'd settled on seven hundred just a few weeks ago, Badger. Now this may just be me, but I'm gettin' the feeling there's more than just fish in these here crates."

"Well you'd be wrong then, now wouldn'tcha?" Badger attempted a glare, but it was laughable.

"Might be. Can always find out, can't I? I've been played by you too many times to fall for it again. Seven hundred each or nothing at all."

Jayne's hand was already resting on one of his side arms, ready for things to explode in their faces. That seemed to happen a lot.

Badger seemed to consider. "Five-fifty."

Mal didn't hesitate. "Fine." It occurred to Jayne that Mal had been expecting this. He was both relieved and irritated. Also disappointed: he was really itching to shoot someone.

Badger finished counting the platinum, Mal watching him with hawk eyes. Something still didn't feel right, though.

When Badger handed him the coin purse Mal didn't look nearly as satisfied as Jayne would have thought. As the trio turned to leave, Badger started speaking again. "Gotta 'nother job, if you're interested."

_Downhill__ from here_, he thought.

***

Author's Notes: Just a few quick notes: Yes, Biggs is a reference to the few Biggs that have in the Final Fantasy. Yes, I am avoiding writing about Inara because I'm not quite sure what to do with her yet. Yes, I will work Simon and Kaylee into the next chapter. And, yes, looking like this will become slash, if only a little. Sorry if that makes anyone uncomfortable. Oh well.  
Update 1/24/09  
My beta finally got the revisions back to me. So this version is superior to the original.  
~Tyloric


	4. Chapter Three

_**Wings  
**_**Chapter Three  
**_Warnings_: Noticeable suggestions of slash. Things also get just a tad angsty here. Just a bit.  
_Things to Note_: Not entirely happy with how this chapter turned out. I rewrote it three times so I came to the conclusion this is going to be as good it gets. Hopefully later chapters will be of higher quality. Still no Inara. No idea what to do with her yet. Also, quite a few things are made up about the 'verse from here on out. Especially the location of planets, town names, ect.

***

Mal froze; he didn't like that tone of voice. It spoke volumes: I know you don't like me but I _do_ know you need the work.

_Why is it_, he wondered bitterly, _that we always seem to found ourselves in these situations_? He wiggled his toes. _You used to be lucky_!

He took note of how Jayne stiffened in front of him. He made a guess that the mercenary shared his uneasiness. Mal's first instinct was to get out of there; they had enough cash to get by for a few weeks now that Badger had actually paid them (even though it was quite a bit more than what they had settled on). But then the uncertainty caught up with him. Who knew, especially with Serenity's current reputation, when they were going to be able to find another job? Work had been a mite scarce as of late.

Mal wondered when he had become the kind of man to question his judgment.

Breathing in deeply through his nose and swallowing his pride, he turned back to face the much smaller man.

"I'm listening," he said after a second's hesitation.

Badger's mood had, quite literally, done a three-sixty. He was back to his normal delusions of being superior, though in this case they might have been justified. Mal hated the fact that this scrawny excuse for a man was able to hang anything over his head.

"Just some simple transport. We give you the goods, and you take them somewhere. Simple, eh?"

Alarms bells started going off in Mal's head. _Don't ask what it is, don't ask what it is, don't ask what it is, _"What're the goods?" _Damn!_

Badger didn't seem fazed, though. "Just some medical supplies."

He heard—or rather, felt— Zoë shift next to him; she must have been having the same flashback he was. Memories of taking the Tams, the Sheppard, and that fed on board played through his mind like a capture on fast track. _Medical supplies to Whitefall,_ he had said. He hadn't been fooling anyone though, even if he didn't know it at the time. Or maybe he did, and just wasn't remembering it. Regardless, flashbacks.

However, Mal had already crossed the line by asking what the cargo was at all; he usually made it a point not to ask. Dealing with the authorities was a mite easier if you truly were ignorant when you claimed to be.

"How much you payin'?"

A gleam in Badger's eyes made him want to cringe, but he held it back. "Twenty thousand if it _all _arrives undamaged and on time."

The trio gaped all together, though Jayne spoke first. "Twenty-thou for _one _delivery? Of _medical supplies?_"

And when Jayne was skeptical, Mal thought, there really was something more going on. But twenty-thousand credits… that would be enough money to fix most of the problems with Serenity _and _keep his crew fed for at least a couple of months. What was this little _hundan_ up to?

"Seems to good to be true," Said Zoë, eyeing Badger suspiciously.

"Cause most like it is," Mal grumbled at her, though loud enough for all to hear.

Badger mocked offense, "What ya got to be worried about for, Reynolds? You take, you drop, you leave, you get paid. Easy, yeah?"

The alarms bells had turned into sirens, blaring in his head, his instincts telling him just get up and walk away.

Jayne surprised him by helping fortify his worry. "I don't like it, Mal." Mal took his words into consideration, though he didn't acknowledge them.

"What kind of meds are worth twenty grand, I wonder?" Mal thought out loud, though Badger didn't take the bait.

"I've got plenty'a others who'll jump at the chance, Reynolds. You want it, or not?"

No, he didn't. But he did want the money. Gorram it, when had he become so indecisive? It was simple: yes or no? So why was he having such a hard time choosing? Pride or greed?

Greed, apparently. "Half now, half on delivery." Mal's voice was level, almost artificial sounding, hoping his word still meant something.

It did. "Done." Badger clapped his hands together excitedly.

Mal had a sinking feeling as if he'd just made a huge mistake.

_***_

An hour later, Simon and Kaylee were back on the ship. They discovered River laying on the catwalk, still not having moved. If one had not been looking closely enough she could have easily been considered a corpse.

Kaylee looked down at her. "You okay?"

River stared intently at the ceiling, but gave Kaylee a quick glance when she spoke. "Tracking. Deciphering. This one is complex."

Simon leaned down next to his sister, worried. "River—"

River sprang up from the catwalk so suddenly they both jumped back, surprised. Abruptly, she turned to address Kaylee. "Did you both have a nice time?"

Kaylee beamed brightly. "Sure did! And look," she said, holding out her wrist, sporting a bracelet decorated with red and pink strawberry gems. River could feel the admiration pouring off her in waves, so much so that it nearly overwhelmed her.

"Top three percent," River said with a nod.

The mechanic leaned over and gave Simon a quick peck on the lips. "That he is."

They all turned their attention to the loading ramp as the mule made its way up. A frustrated Mal sat driving, while Zoë and Jayne (miraculously) both looked equally concerned.

"Jayne, let's get the rest of it loaded up," Mal ordered, earning yet another grunt of recognition. River could tell something was wrong without even needing to hear their thoughts.

"Cap'n?" Kaylee asked, concerned, "Everything alright?"

"Shiny," he called back, not turning to look at her.

"He has offered another job," River said. "Pays well. But this little mouse has teeth." She spoke as though it she were reciting a fairy tale.

Mal tensed as, once again, she, was spot on in her analysis of the situation. Most days he applauded and even welcomed this ability, but today it irritated him. Everything was bothering him. The _sun _was bothering him. He wanted to shoot someone for the sake of shooting them, something that was so uncharacteristic of him that it frightened River a bit.

When they were done loading up, Mal hopped back in the mule. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he turned to see River standing next to the driver's side. Girl was like a gorram cat when she wanted to be, sneaking and the like.

"The wolf was backed into a corner by a mouse," she said with the utmost sincerity.

"What're ya goin' on about now?" His patience was near its limit.

She leaned in a bit closer, her voice coming to a whisper. "But don't worry, Captain Daddy. Your teeth will always be sharper."

Mal felt a bit of his tension drain away from her words. She could also be downright insightful when she wasn't in one of her crazy moods. "I appreciate that, little one," he grumbled begrudgingly.

"I need Zoë," she announced suddenly, dancing around the mule happily.

"What for?" he asked, watching every step she took.

River had plans. Plans that would require assistance. She could also feel herself slipping, and she was (sometimes) aware enough to know she may need supervision. Jayne also needed some alone time with him.

Of course she wouldn't tell any of this to the Captain. "Need help shopping," she said as she fluttered away.

Mal saw right through her. Well, not _right _through her; never knew what was going on in that girl's brain. But he had come to understand her enough to see she was up to something. He looked over to Zoë, who seemed to be sharing her train of thought. She looked at him questioningly, "Sir?"

He thought about it. "Fine. Just try to keep her out of trouble? Don't need any one else other than myself screwing up today."

She was caught between being amused and concerned; she couldn't decide which was more appropriate,."Yes, sir."

"Jayne, you 'bout ready?"he called.

The mercenary leaned into Mal's field of vision from the back seat. "I'm already here, Mal."

"Right, well… okay then," he sputtered, turning in front of him, "Kaylee, you take care of my boat. Shouldn't be too long."

"Gotcha, Cap'n!" she called as he drove off in the mule.

***

"This all of it?" The large, lumbering man queried as Mal and Jayne set the last crate down in the stack.

"That's all," he said, breathing deeply. Jayne frowned at the captain. His instincts were telling him something was wrong again.

"We need to talk ta Badger, get details on this new job of his," Mal said, wiping his hands on his duster. The man waved them by, writing something down on a pad he held in his hands. As they reached the entrance to Badger's 'office', Jayne reached out and grabbed Mal by the shoulder.

"You alright?" he asked, concern playing his features. Mal turned to look at his mercenary, confused. Jayne was worried about him? That didn't make any sense; Jayne didn't worry about anyone other than himself.

He looked at Jayne intently, searching for something in his eyes. When he didn't find what he was seeking (not that he knew what to look for), he just gave a quick, sharp nod. "Shiny."

Jayne looked visibly relieved when he retracted his hand, and they moved to the inside of the office space.

Mal didn't wait for Badger to notice them. "Details, Badger. Where am I taking my ship?"

"Saint Albans," Badger stated matter-of-factly. Mal felt his stomach tighten as memories of Tracy filled his head.

"Saint Albans?" Jayne asked. Not much deliveries to Saint Albans. It was a giant frozen rock, one of the furthest planets away from this system's Sun. There were a few villages scattered across it, but not much traffic space travel-wise.

"I did say medical supplies, didn't I?" Badger sneered and Mal had to fight not to scowl.

"What part of the world, Badger?" He shifted so that that he legs were spread slightly, bringing both of his hands to rest in front of him, clasped together. Most people would look at this as a the sign of a patient business man. Jayne had known Mal long enough know it was his _don't play games with me, I'm ready to kill you _pose. Because of this, Jayne felt uneasy. There was a sudden tightness in his chest: the releasing of adrenaline. His fingers danced across the gun in his holster.

"Hookridge." The smaller man grinned.

Mal almost breathed a sigh of relief. Hookridge was on the other side of the world from Tracy's home town.

"Where's the cargo we're s'posed to haul?" Mal asked, shifting his arms to cross them across his chest, making Jayne relax a bit.

Badger smirked, and moved over to a safe that stood near the back of the room. It was a combination lock, not something you saw very often. They weren't unheard of, however. You couldn't hack something that didn't use technology. Jayne wondered if that was the case, or if Badger was just too cheap to invest in something higher grade.

Badger pulled the safe open with a heave. It was empty save for a large, silver case. It stood up to Jayne's calves and was the same width as his stomach. Just looking at it screamed trouble; it wasn't very discrete. Badger picked it up with a heave and set it in front of Mal.

"That's it," he said with an almost evil smirk. Mal wanted to punch him, really he did, "But I wouldn't open it if I were you."

Jayne openly glared at the man, "How's that?"

He laughed, but his eyes were dark. "Trust me. It's better if you don't."

Mal's eyes were hard, an almost stone-like gaze. "Thought you said we'd be transporting 'medical supplies'."

Another laugh, but it was grim. "You are." He didn't say anything else, instead dismissing them with a wave of his hand.

"Ain't leaving till I see my ten thousand platinum." He motioned for Jayne to retrieve the container. The mercenary did as he was told without question (which Mal was finding increasingly odd). Jayne grunted at the heaviness of the container; fifty pounds easy.

Badger threw a leather pouch at Mal; this was looking much bulkier than their original payment. They stood there for a good five minutes while Mal counted it all out, making sure Badger wasn't skimming off the top. If he was putting his crew at risk (like he suspected he was), he was going to be damned sure he was getting _every _coin he was promised and not a credit less.

When he was sure it was all there, he turned to walk out without even acknowledging Badger. He wanted to leave and he wanted to do it now. Jayne trailed after him, his arm going numb from the weight.

"Have a nice trip," Badger called mockingly. Mal scowled.

***

Zoë watched as River walked a few paces in front of her. The girl looked like she knew where she was going by the way she moved, but her head kept darting around as if she was looking for something. Needless to say, she was perplexed.

"River," Zoë asked as she tried to jog to keep up with the girl, "River, where are we going?"

"He's here. Somewhere. Having trouble pinpointing the location. His mind is erratic," she said, looking around wildly.

"Who are you talking about?" she asked, her voice solemn.

"The man who feels but does not think. Exists but doesn't know it. He has wings." She spoke as if Zoë should know what she's talking about.

"River, honey, I don't think I understand."

"Nothing to understand. No thoughts. Only emotions."

They had entered the shopping district of Eavesdown. It didn't hold anything as glamorous as things you would find on other core worlds, but it was densely populated. You could find some interesting treasures if you knew where to look.

Zoë didn't say anything else as she trailed after the girl. She knew that River was on a mission, even if she didn't understand it herself. She would like to know why she had been asked to come, though.

"Because," River continued, "you are Captain Daddy's conscience. We'll need you to help convince him we need these wings." River slowed her pace a bit. "This girl is not always capable, she is broken. Can't always fly in a straight line. But this one _can_." She paused, thinking about it for a moment. "He is the leaf and we are the wind."

Zoë felt a chill run up her spine, her heart missing a beat. Memories of Wash fluttered across her thoughts for the briefest of moments, causing her to take pause. "River, what are you talking about?"

The girl didn't respond, instead pointing in front of her. "Aha!" And with that, she took off at full speed, running down the street. Zoë followed her, scared and worried, though she couldn't figure out why.

***

Reviews are appreciated.  
~Tyloric.


	5. Chapter Four

_**Wings  
**_**By Tyloric**

Beta read by the lovely _youroctober._

**Chapter Four**

***

Cid stepped out of the hotel, a duffel bag in one hand and a spear strapped to his back. He didn't take the _Venus Gospel _out in public anymore; this society seemed pretty exclusive to projectiles. Not that he didn't understand that mentality; quite a few of his pals back home were weaponry buffs. But that's where his understanding seemed to grind to a halt: Why should everyone stick universally to one type of fighting style? Regardless, he hadn't handled the _Venus Gospel _in combat in quite a number of months, and was actually beginning to lose his feel for it.

Ignoring the glances and odd looks he got as he walked down the street, he headed down to the docks with the glimmer of hope that someone would need a pilot. Or any work, really. It wasn't his place to be picky. He'd done some things over the past year he wasn't particularly proud of, but that just seemed to be the way this 'verse operated. People on the 'rim worlds' did what was necessary to get by. Cid had been reluctant to visit the Core planets; the reputation of the Alliance was less than outstanding. Though, with his lack of information so far, all the answers he was looking for seemed to be in the Cores.

Cid was so wrapped up in thought that he didn't notice the girl barreling towards him until she was right up on him. She stopped a few feet in front of him, causing the pilot to blink a few times. She stood about half a foot shorter than him and had long, dark brown hair that covered her shoulders, stopping just above her breasts. Her locks complemented her eyes, which were also brown. She wore a long, flowing blue and grey dress and she was panting heavily.

"Are you…?" she started.

"Uh… am I?" Cid replied, bemused.

She waited a few more seconds before trying to speak again, catching her breath. "Are you the man who can't think?"

He made a face that was a cross between confused and bewildered,."Don't reckon I am."

She furrowed her brow in concentration. "But there are no thoughts. The music of life but no chorus."

It was then that Cid noticed they were attracting quite a bit of unwanted attention. "Listen, girl. You got the wrong guy," he said, attempting to make his way around her. He didn't have time for crazy; had enough of that on his own.

But as he turned to make his was past her, she grabbed on to his shoulders. "Can you fly?" she asked him with a life or death urgency.

"River, you're making a scene." Cid's eyes glanced over to the new voice, noticing the tall, dark-skinned woman for the first time.

"You with this girl?" he asked her.

She nodded sharply. "I am."

"Can ya get her _off _me, please?"

She regarded him uncertainly for a second, before stepping towards the girl gripping him. "River, maybe we should—"

She started shaking him. "Can you fly?" she asked again.

"I'm a pilot, if that's what you're asking." He was restraining himself from getting physical with her. He really _didn't _need this right now.

Her head whipped around to the dark-haired women. "He has wings!" she exclaimed in a childlike fashion. Turning back to face him, she had a smile that made its way to her eyes. "You're perfect!" And she grabbed his hand and started pulling him along.

"Woah, hey!" He was aghast with how unnaturally strong the young lady, River, was. She had an iron grip that he couldn't seem to shake loose.

"Where the _hell _are you taking me?" he spat angrily at her.

"_Serenity_!" she called happily.

***

Jayne sat in the back seat, gazing at Mal worriedly as he drove the Mule back to _Serenity, _the crate they would be transporting sitting precariously next to him in the other seat.

Mal's gaze was hard and focused, never taking his eyes off the road in front of him, braking every so often to let people walk by. Jayne couldn't tell if he was pissed or not; he wasn't good at reading emotions.

Maybe that was why he started flapping his gums. "So why're we doin' this job again?"

Mal tensed, but didn't say anything.

So Jayne kept going. "I mean, sure it's work, but Badger ain't the most trustworthy fella'. Even _you_ see that."

"We need the coin, Jayne," Mal snapped impatiently.

The mercenary glowered and mumbled, "Coin won't matter none if we're all dead."

***

Mal was staring at River dumbfounded. "What?"

She beamed happily. "I found wings."

"Yeah, I hear that, Albatross. But what does that _mean?" _As he asked, he noticed Zoë shift uncomfortably. That wasn't good. If something was bothering Zoë enough to make her _look _uneasy, Mal was sure he wasn't going to like it any better.

He jumped out of the Mule and motioned for Jayne to take it up the ramp. He grunted in reply.

River raised her eyebrows in anticipation, smiling while also biting her bottom lip. Turning around, she motioned for Mal to follow her. The Captain, narrowing his eyes suspiciously, took after her. Not that they went particularly far--only to the other side of the ramp. Mal wondered why he hadn't noticed him earlier.

He was sitting on the base of the right side of the ramp, knees up in front of him, forearms resting comfortably on them. He was wearing a dark blue t-shirt, with a coat tied around his waist, blond hair gelled to make it stick up in long spikes. The man's jaw was jutted forward, his eyebrows curved into an angry frown. He didn't look happy to be here.

River stopped just a few feet shy of him and pointed at the man with an over enthusiasm that only she was capable of. "Wings," she said happily.

"_Cid!_" the blond growled angrily at her.

River nodded, turning back to face Mal. "Cid. Cid has wings."

"Hey, do I look like a god damn bird you?" Cid got to his feet and crossed his arms, glaring at the back of her head. River ignored him, her smile never leaving Mal.

"You want to explain, little one?" Mal said cautiously.

"He's coming with us!" she shouted in glee.

"What?" Mal, Zoë, and Cid all responded in unison.

"Now look here, Albatross. Last I understood _I'm _in charge of this here boat, not you." Mal was trying not to let the day's activities aggravate him too much, but his patience was already wearing thin and he was in no mood for this.

She continued to smile sweetly. "We need him."

"What for?" Mal sounded insulted.

"Yeah, girlie," Cid interjected, getting to his feet, his tone condescending, "_enlighten _us." Mal shot the man a glare.

River's eyes flickered over to Zoë's in such a quick motion that Mal would have missed it if he wasn't so close to her. She leaned in closely to whisper in his ear, "He is a leaf on the wind."

Mal's breath got caught in his throat for a moment as memories flooded his head. Without looking away, he called over his shoulder. "How you feel 'bout all this, Zoë?"

Zoë hesitated. "I… I trust River, sir." And Mal huffed uncertainly, stepping past River to survey this man with 'wings.'

He gave the man a quick look up and down. "I can only guess you're a pilot, from what River's told me?" Cid grunted in acknowledgement, crossing his arms. Other than that, however, he stayed silent.

"Lookin' fer work?"

The blond quirked an eyebrow. "S'pose I am. Why, you offerin'?"

Mal knew a challenge when he heard one. "Ever flown a Firefly?" he asked, gesturing with a quick nod over towards _Serenity. _

"Nope," he said bluntly. "But I'm a quick study. Been flyin' pl-" Cid caught himself, "_boats—_since I was a little'un. I ain't never come across a ship I couldn't fly."

The captain went over it in his head for several minutes, weighing his options. It was true that another pilot would put his mind at ease when River became… incapacitated, and Zoë had, more or less, offered her seal of approval. Still, something was off about the man. Like he was just _too _convenient.

"What kinda work you lot do, anyhow?" Cid asked, interrupting his train of thought.

"Transport," Mal said in a leveled voice. "Illegal, more often than not." He gauged Cid's reaction. Another grunt of acknowledgment was all he offered, seemingly not put off by that last bit of information at all. This made Mal ever more uneasy than before. It was all _too _perfect.

After a few more moments, "Seven percent."

"Nine." Cid countered.

"Eight."

"Done." Cid shook Mal's—his captain's—hand firmly.

_Serenity _had found its wings.

***

Notes: I originally had a plan for Zoë in the first part of the chapter, but then I liked the rewritten version more, and after that she didn't have much purpose. So… yeah. Sorry 'bout that. This particular installment was short on purpose. I've been really busy as of late and I felt bad for not updating in so long, and I have absolutely no idea when I'll be able come back to this story. The ending does feel abrupt, I'll admit. But overall I am satisfied with this chapter.

~Tyloric.


	6. Intermission 1

_**Wings  
**_**By Tyloric**

_Oh snap, an update after more than a year. I wonder if anyone will read it? Let us find out. This intermission takes an episodic approach to the story as Cid settles in. Doesn't really move things along, but it builds upon the story already in place, so I called it an intermission rather than a chapter. Because it is an intermission, I kept it short. About one thousand words. Yes, this marks the continuation of this story. Rejoice!_

**Intermission: 1**

***

Cid's first night aboard _Serenity _was awkward. He had expected it would be; new man on board a ship with a crew that were obviously close, and not just close, _family. _That train of thought led him back to the home he truly missed. The thought was enough to keep him awake, which wasn't saying much. His quarters were tiny at best... it was going to take some time to adjust to the lack of personal space on a ship this size.

Cid fit in very quickly though. By the third day, Kaylee was talking up a storm, asking question after question about his personal life, his past, where he grew up. Those questions were the hardest to answer, as he wasn't sure what was safe to reveal and what would raise any red flags. Would these people believe he could be from another universe? Cid doubted it.

Even odder, he found that he got along with Jayne easiest of all. The two of them hit it off rather quickly swapping battle stories; brawls, bar fights, street fights, just about any kind of fight you could imagine. To be honest, the merc reminded him of Barret, just without the family values.

It was River he couldn't quite figure out. She knew things she shouldn't, and didn't know things she should. She was... loony. Batty, even. But he liked her; she was naturally kind in a rare, genuine way.

Simon irritated him, though. He was just... so... _proper. _The boy reminded him of Rufus Shinra and all his assholery. Those memories made him shudder.

Despite it all, though, he felt more at home than he had in a while.

***

"Aint you at least curious?" Jayne started.

"A bit." Cid admitted.

"Yeah, so we should-"

"Nah."

"But what if-?"

"Nope."

"But I wanna-"

"No."

Jayne huffed. "Worse'n Wash was..." He mumbled.

"Mal said not to open it, right?" Cid asked.

The merc balanced from foot to foot. "Yeah..."

"So we shouldn't open it." The pilot finalized.

Jayne looked like a kicked puppy. "But..."

Cid patted him on the shoulder. "Next time."

The merc frowned, his curiosity to see what was in the case they were transporting growing by the minute. But he was a professional, so of course he wouldn't look inside... alone, anyway.

***

Cid found he liked the Serenity; she was one well endowed lady. Sure, she was a bit aged, but all the best women were. He grinned as he thought of Shera.

The one thing he didn't understand were the dinosaurs spread around the cock pit.

"They were his." River said, sneaking up behind him.

"The guy who died?" Cid asked. She nodded sadly, causing the pilot to grunt in understanding. "Sucks."

River didn't miss a beat. "He was impaled by a giant javelin."

Cid blanched. "Say wha-?"

"Right through the chest."

His mouth hung open.

"River." Zoë scorned from the door.

"Sorry. Just testing him."

Highwind coughed, regaining his composure. "I pass?"

The girl considered. "I don't know." She paused. "You tell me." With that, she walked away without another word.

_Loony. _He thought to himself as she stalked off. It took him a moment to realize Zoë was still standing in the doorway.

"You know," she started slowly. "You got some pretty big shoes to fill."

"I ain't looking to fill no ones shoes." Cid said immediately. "Only looking to find my way… and survive. That one always helps."

***

Once the first week had passed, he had settled in to a comfortable routine. He was slowly getting used to the close spaces, and spent most of his free time in the lounge outside the med bay, just because it was the most spacious area of the ship.

"So," Simons asked him one time. "Where are you from?"

"No where important." He hated having to respond like that. His home was important to him; he just didn't know how to explain it. Or know if they would even believe him.

That was the first time he truly felt homesick.

***

It was his shift on the night shift on the bridge when Mal came to talk to him. "Hey there."

Cid waved behind him, not turning around. "Hey, Cap'n." It was still weird for _him _not to be called Captain.

"Everything alright up here?"

"Yeah. Gonna need refueling by the time we get there, but no biggy."

"Right, see you in the morning then."

"Yeah, see you."

Mal waited a few seconds before turning back around. "You know… you have some pretty big shoes to fill."

Cid grinned. "Strange, Zoë said the exact same thing."

"For Zoë especially. Wash was her husband."

This took the pilot by surprise. "Oh… sorry."

"Wash was family. Now I'm going to tell you straight up, I don't know if you can become family. My crew has been through a lot, had their souls torn a part. I don't know if they can come accepting anyone other than Wash."

Cid turned around for the first time. "Might have been good to know back on Pandora."

"Would you still have come?"

Cid thought about it. "Yeah, probably."

Mal smiled, a genuine smile. "And that is why, you might just could be family." He started back down the walkway. "'Night, Highwind."

"Yeah… night."

_Family? _He thought. _I have one of those already… just want to get back to them._

***

An hour later, a Reaver ship had caught up to them. Five minutes later, Serenity's alarms let them know.

***

_Because I'm so busy, I'm going to try updating my stories once a month. It's not a lot, but…yeah. Bare with me. Reviews are appreciated.  
~Tyloric_


	7. Chapter Five

_**Wings**_**  
By Tyloric**

_Unbeta'd as usual. Fun fact: this was my first action scene ever. Tell me how I did, k?_

**Chapter Five**

She could hear them; could hear the jagged edges of their song. There was no harmony to it, just an ever building crescendo of agony and rage. It had a steady beat, like the beating of a heart. Thump… thump… thump… each beat causing her head to throb and her gut to churn.

River was familiar with this song; the song of Reavers.

The ship shuddered at the Reaver ship docked with the Serenity. They would use a laser cutter to force their way through the door.

**Wings**

"Mal!" Cid's voice came over the intercom. "Bridge, now!" He pushed a few more buttons on the consoles to silence the proximity alarms. The Reavers had docked with them and he hadn't had enough warning to evade the ship, which was, ironically, a Firefly. If he tried to force his way off he could irreparably damage the ship, maybe even breach the hull, causing them all to suffocate.

"What's all ruckus?" Mal asked, coming on to the bridge bleary eyed.

Cid didn't bother to turn around, "A Reaver Firefly has docked with us, I couldn't stop it."

"Gorram- what?" Mal asked, suddenly awake, "You couldn't _stop it? _Why am I just finding about gorram Reavers _after _they have docked?"

"I don't know!" Cid snapped irritably, "Something must be wrong with our sensors, or maybe they're using some sort of stealth,_ I don't know."_

Mal glared daggers at the back of Cid's head while he worked on trying to get information. After a few moments, he went over to the intercom, "Everyone get up. We've got Reavers," and snapped the com back on the stand, "Do you have _anything _useful?"

"They're drilling a hole in cargo with something very hot. A laser? We've got minutes before they're through."

Mal growled angrily just as Zoë came to the deck, "What have we got?" she asked simply. Mal filled her in.

"I'll be right back." Cid said suddenly, making for his quarters.

"Where in the _Wŏ de mā_ are you going?"

"One way or another, this ends in a fight. I'm getting my spear." Cid said, rushing off.

"Oh, you hear that, Zoë? He's getting his _spear."_

"Sir?" Zoë asked.

"What?"

"Not a great time."

"What do we do?" Kaylee asked with Simon and River standing behind her. Jayne brought up the rear a moment later.

"We hole up here." Mal said.

"Sir?" "What?" everyone asked simultaneously.

"Got no choice." Mal said. "They're going to get through the cargo doors any second and then they're going to flood in, and there will be no stopping them. We don't got time to prepare a defense anywhere else but here. Jayne, get your guns."

Jayne growled, rolled his eyes, and did as he was told.

"Mal, are you sure this is a good idea?"

"No, but it's my only idea. And I'm not going to lose anymore crew to these _húndàns._"

"They're coming." River said, calmly turning around and walking towards the galley, "I will hold them. Please don't shoot me." Everyone was silent for a long moment.

"River-" Simon started.

"Let her do her thing, doc." Mal said, his voice suddenly cool. "

**Wings**

Cid gather his materia and set them in the slots on the Venus Gospel. Experimentally, he tried calling a cure. Power stirred inside the small green sphere, he could feel it like an extra limb. But that power formed in to nothing: it stayed there, dormant. Cid let out a string of curses at this.

Cid had never tangled with Reavers before, but he'd heard the stories, and he was serving with Mal who had firsthand experience. He knew they were not to be taken lightly.

Then he felt something different come from one of the other materia, his red one. Ifrit was stirring, as if impatient.

"You in there, big guy?" he whispered to himself, not expecting a response. He got one anyway. There was a growl loud enough to rumble his quarters. They didn't rumble, though. No physical object in Cid's room moved, meaning the sound was purely in his head.

Ifrit was awake.

"Well, at least someone is paying attention." But he wasn't relieved. He couldn't use Ifrit, not here. The Eidolon was simply too large for the close confines of a ship this size, and even then, he had the rest of the crew to consider. How would he explain a giant monster with horns that could breathe fire suddenly appearing out of thin air?

But then he had an idea.

"C'mon buddy, I know you're restless. God knows how long you've been trapped in there… but I can't let you out, not here. I need a favor anyway. Give me just a little bit of power… just a bit… please." He was all but begging. What could he say? He was scared. He hadn't been in a real fight for years, not since AVALANCHE struck Sephiroth down. He was rusty, and that meant he would more than likely make mistakes. He'd need every advantage he could get.

At first, nothing happened, and Cid was about to give up, but then the Venus Gospel began to glow in a white hot fury. His quarters immediately heated up, and a trickle of sweat went down his face.

"Thank you." He whispered.

**Wings**

The reavers poured in to the section where to med bay stairs and galley meet. She hadn't expected them this quickly.

A Reaver with a particularly nasty blade stabbed forward toward her gut, and she hugged the left wall to avoid being impaled by it. With inhuman speed, she parted he hand forward and grabbed the handle of the blade. She kicked off the ground and ripped it out of the Reaver's grasp, who stumbled backwards, dazed by the unexpected resistance from such a frail target.

Another Reaver coming up the stairs slashed at her with an axe and she quickly parried with her new sword, and pushed back against the wall causing the Reaver to tumble backwards in to its companions which caused the domino effect of all of them being knocked down. This gave her a few precious seconds before they all recovered and were able to reorient themselves.

She stabbed at the entrance to the galley without looking, impaling the Reaver she had stolen the blade from through the heart. She quickly withdrew a few feet and ducked, narrowly dodging a shot from Mal's gun as another Reaver was hit in the head. This gave her just the opening she was looking for. She charged and dodge rolled over the two dead bodies into the galley.

There were currently a handful of Reavers here and more were coming in by the second. One of them to her left charged at her weaponless. River did a quick up-slicing motion with the sword and easily gutted the Reaver's unprotected belly. She twisted around, blade flying out in front of her, and she swiftly cut two more of their necks, both of which made sick gurgling noises. By now there was a steady stream of gun fire coming from behind her, but she paid it no mind.

One of the reavers managed to wrap its arms around her belly, and she kicked off the bolted down dinner table and sent them back tumbling backwards, but River quickly recovered from the motion and graceful went into a back flip, landing easily on her feet. It was only then that she remembered she had forgotten to slip of her favorite pair of boots. Pity.

A Reaver who had just entered the Galley raised a dart shooter that was whose ammo was undoubtedly laced with poison. It opened fire. River charged at it, spinning to the left to avoid one shot, dodge rolling forwards to dodge another. When she came up out of the dodge she stabbed it in the stomach, ripped the blade out to the right causing blood and entrails to fly everything, and spun around to cut this one's throat as well.

She felt Cid enter the room. He stabbed a Reaver in the back who was attempting to sneak up behind her. It let out a horribly agonized wail and the smell of burnt flesh filled the room.

"Thank you." She said, not turning around.

"Don't mention it." He responded easily.

Together, they danced. They moved, stabbed, gouged, and split the Reavers in two in one swift motion after another. Bone cracked, skulls split open, and blood began to pool on the floor. By the end of it, there were no Reavers left.

**Wings**

Mal had never seen anything like it. Cid was easily keeping up with River. They were moving _together _like they could read each other's minds, which, Mal guessed, was half true at least.

He shot a Reaver coming up the stairs in the head with ease.

"What… in the gorram hell… was that?" Jayne asked.

"I… don't know." Mal said.

"Think he's like her?" Zoë asked, reloading her shotgun. "Think he's a reader?" She'd seen the way the man fought too.

Mal didn't know how to respond. Who was this man, he has hired as his pilot?

River and Cid had begun to step over the bodies by this point, slowly making their way down the corridor. Mal noted that Cid was breathing very heavily, but River was not.

"Good show." He said when they were within ear shot. "Almost like it was rehearsed."

"Yes," River agreed. "Cid is a good dancer."

"Yeah," Cid gasped, "_Dancing._"

"So you wanna tell me what that was?" Mal said, holstering his weapon.

"Um," Cid said. "What now?"

"You fight like River. I've never seen anyone else able to keep up with her like that," Zoë said.

"Gorram coolest thing I've ever seen…" Jayne mumbled.

"Um, my fighting?" How could he explain it? _An ancient Eidolon of fire lent me his strength. You know, the usual. _"I just… kinda went with the flow." He offered.

"It _was _pretty sweet," Kaylee said, cheerily, over the initial shock of a Reaver invasion.

Mal clear his throat, "Well, whatever it was," he said, "I'm glad you were here."

Cid took some pride in that.

tbc.


	8. Authors Notes

I am officially pausing this story in order to well… rethink it.

Why? Well, I'm sure you can tell.

You see, I started writing this story last year right after my surgery, and once I got better I just… forgot about it for a while. I love this story, and I love the idea behind it, so I'm not ready to give up on it. But… I think some time to rethink and even rewrite it are in order.

Until then, ciao.


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